The Estate and Trust Planning practice group addresses the needs of clients and their families during their lives as well as at the time of their demise. From guardianships to trusts for individuals with special needs, to substituted authority issues such as powers-of-attorney and health care proxies, our attorneys help clients plan for life issues, including business succession, charitable giving, life insurance and long term care insurance. We also create estate plans for those clients with significant assets, those in second marriages and those who are non-citizens. The group works closely with clients to demystify estate planning so they understand the documents they sign and the goals to be achieved. At the same time, we work to secure the maximum estate tax savings for our clients. Whether retained to litigate an elective share valuation, a will contest, or an accounting proceeding, the group readily practices in surrogate courts on contested matters. We efficiently administer estates, not only by distributing clients’ assets according to their plan, but also by using further post-mortem tax planning opportunities to minimize taxes.
